Almost 2,700 Children Died in Road Accidents in China Last Year

Statistics show that in 2011, about 2,700 schoolchildren were killed and 11,500 injured in road accidents in China.

The Ministry of Public Security said that around 45% of the deadly accidents took place when the victims were walking. Parents and teachers were urged to make more efforts in guiding children to follow traffic lights and choose the zebra or an underpass when crossing a street. Statistics show that annually 70,000 people are killed and 300,000 injured in China.

There are various causes for the high number of victims, but most of them revolve around drunk driving, speeding, fatigue, and poor road conditions. Motorists have also been warned to slow down when driving near villages or schools, and parents not to let their children play on the highways or children under 12 cycle on the road.

In 2010 the Chinese police recorded 219,521 traffic accidents that led to 65,225 fatalities, down 3.7% from 2009. But experts believe that the World Health Organisation study in 2010 seriously undercounted the number of road deaths in China, estimated to be almost twice than the number reported.